martial arts after 40

September 2024

Choi Yongsul Dojunim would say, “this martial art can really be enjoyed after you turn 40.” It doesn’t mean that this martial art is an exercise only good for older people.

When I was in my early to mid 30’s, I became more and more aware of the physical strain and slower recovery when I trained in modern Hapkido, Muay Thai and others. For instance, my knees would be in pain after a day of intense kicking and my ankles, which were already in a bad state from military training and sparring injuries, were getting worse and worse. 

I began to wonder how much longer I would be able to train in techniques that relied on these types of kicks and punches as well as speed and strength. I figured I was at peak performance and it was only downhill from there. 

That is when I met Kim Yunsang Dojunim and a whole new world opened up in the form of Hapkiyusul (traditional Hapkido). It was fascinating to experience being made powerless by this muscleless 80-year old man, especially when I thought I was at my best. Was this magic?

For the last 10+ years, I’ve been diligently training to understand Dojunim’s “secret”, and realized that the source of power is different from our normal understanding of it. And this power becomes greater as one trains more. Because a person doesn’t rely on their own muscular strength, it doesn’t matter how old one becomes; our “peak” is always now.     

When people first come to train with me, they always mention that my arm is really strong. They say this because no matter how strong they grab or “attack”, I can easily make them lose their balance. In training, it takes months or sometimes years to realize that it’s not in fact armpower.

And that is the reason why the age 40 comment makes sense. It is when we face the reality of our declining physical strength, we can really appreciate the true value of this martial art. 

Choi Yongsul Dojunim